Personalized chatbots for inmates

ABSTRACT

A communication system for providing a positive communication to an inmate is provided. The communication system includes memory that stores data, and an application server that that analyzes that data to determine topics that are important to the inmate. The application server includes a topic rating system to rate the topics based on importance to the inmate and based on an emotional tone used by the inmate during a communication. When the application server receives a question from the inmate, the application server searches the data and the Internet and responds based on the answer and the data stored in memory. The application server also provides support to the inmate by suggesting counseling services according to the needs of the inmate. Further, the communication system provides a positive influence to the inmate to encourage educational progression.

BACKGROUND Field

The disclosure relates to a communication system that facilitatescommunications between an inmate at a correctional facility and achatbot.

Background

Correctional facilities provide inmates with the ability to communicatewith friends, families, and visitors as it improves recidivism andprovides incentives for inmates to follow rules and policies of thefacility. In addition to traditional telephone calls and telephonevisitations, correctional facilities seek to offer a wide variety ofcommunication services to inmates, such as video visitation and videocalls, among others. While in correctional facilities, some inmates losecontact with friends and families due to change of contact informationof friends and families, due to death of friends and family members, ordue simply to the inmate's confinement. Accordingly, other means ofimproving recidivism are necessary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosureand, together with the description, further serve to explain theprinciples of the disclosure and to enable a person skilled in thepertinent art to make and use the embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a communication system, accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a communication center, accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an application server, according to exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of storage devices, according toexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for generating anon-real time communication, according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart diagram of a method for transmitting anon-real time communication, according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer system, according to exemplary embodimentsof the present disclosure.

The present disclosure will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicateidentical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left mostdigit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which thereference number first appears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following Detailed Description refers to accompanying drawings toillustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with the disclosure.References in the Detailed Description to “one exemplary embodiment,”“an exemplary embodiment,” “an example exemplary embodiment,” etc.,indicate that the exemplary embodiment described may include aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every exemplaryembodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same exemplary embodiment. Further, when a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anexemplary embodiment, it is within the knowledge of those skilled in therelevant art(s) to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic inconnection with other exemplary embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed.

The exemplary embodiments described herein are provided for illustrativepurposes, and are not limiting. Other exemplary embodiments arepossible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodimentswithin the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the DetailedDescription is not meant to limit the invention. Rather, the scope ofthe invention is defined only in accordance with the following claimsand their equivalents.

Embodiments may be implemented in hardware (e.g., circuits), firmware,software, or any combination thereof. Embodiments may also beimplemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, whichmay be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readablemedium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting informationin a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing device). For example,a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); randomaccess memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media;flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms ofpropagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digitalsignals, etc.), and others. Further, firmware, software, routines,instructions may be described herein as performing certain actions.However, it should be appreciated that such descriptions are merely forconvenience and that such actions in fact result from computing devices,processors, controllers, or other devices executing the firmware,software, routines, instructions, etc. Further, any of theimplementation variations may be carried out by a general purposecomputer, as described below.

For purposes of this discussion, any reference to the term “module”shall be understood to include at least one of software, firmware, andhardware (such as one or more circuit, microchip, or device, or anycombination thereof), and any combination thereof. In addition, it willbe understood that each module may include one, or more than one,component within an actual device, and each component that forms a partof the described module may function either cooperatively orindependently of any other component forming a part of the module.Conversely, multiple modules described herein may represent a singlecomponent within an actual device. Further, components within a modulemay be in a single device or distributed among multiple devices in awired or wireless manner.

The following Detailed Description of the exemplary embodiments will sofully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, byapplying knowledge of those skilled in relevant art(s), readily modifyand/or adapt for various applications such exemplary embodiments,without undue experimentation, without departing from the spirit andscope of the disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modificationsare intended to be within the meaning and plurality of equivalents ofthe exemplary embodiments based upon the teaching and guidance presentedherein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, suchthat the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is tobe interpreted by those skilled in relevant art(s) in light of theteachings herein.

Overview

In correctional facilities, inmates are usually surrounded by negativeinfluences which encourage inmates to break rules of the correctionalfacility and to violating laws when released. In some cases, inmatesencourage other inmates to join certain groups as lifetime members byindicating that the group is the only family the inmates will have.These negative influences can have serious harmful effects on theability of the inmate to successfully rejoin society.

Traditionally, inmates received positive influences from family andfriends that want the inmate to be released and not to return to a lifeof crime. However, over time, inmates lose contact with friends andfamily. In some instances, friends or family move, contact informationis lost, or friends or family die. In other instances, inmates are insolitary confinement and lose access to typical communal communicationdevices to talk to family and friends. As devices, such as smartdevices, have become more prevalent inside of correctional facilities,the ability to communicate with someone becomes more available, despitethe loss of contact with friends and family members.

In light of the above, the present disclosure provides a system andmethod for inmates to communicate with a personalized chatbot tofacilitating communication with what the inmate may perceive as a friendor family member. The personalized chatbot provides a way for the inmateto learn from mistakes and receive a positive influence despite theinmate's circumstances. The chatbot further provides educational supportto an inmate such that the inmate can learn proper grammar andvocabulary or learn occupational and vocational skills. Communicationswith the chatbot can include real-time and non-real time communicationssuch that the chatbot is perceived as more human-like. Further, thesecommunications can be by way of a communication device that includes agraphical user interface (GUI) that displays an image or animation meantto represent the chatbot in a human form, a text application, or anemail application. Communications with a chatbot can also be performedby way of traditional communication devices such as a telephone.

Communication System

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a communication system 100,according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Thecommunication system 100 includes a communication center 110 configuredto receive and transmit communications to/from a communication device120 and to/from a monitoring center 130.

The communication device 120 includes any or all communication deviceslocated at a correctional facility. The communication device 120includes such devices as wired communication devices 122, which includeaudio communication devices 123 a and video communications devices 123b, wireless communication device 125, and/or a work station 126. Thecommunication center 120 also connects to a wireless access point 125(e.g., a router), which can provide connectivity to the wireless devices124. The communication device 120, such as the video communicationsdevices 123 b, the wireless communication device 125, and/or the workstation 126, can be configured to include a camera and a screen forgenerating and viewing videos or images. The communication device 120connects to the communication center 110 via a network 101. The network101 includes a Local-Area Network (LAN), a Wide-Area Network (WAN), orthe Internet, depending on the location of the communication center 110in relation to the communication device 120. For example, thecommunication center 110 may be located at a correctional facility wherethe communication device 120 is located and therefore a LAN is used. Inanother example, the communication center 110 is located at a differentlocation than the correctional facility and therefore the network 101 isa WAN or the Internet.

The monitoring center 130 facilitates the monitoring of communicationsfrom the communication device 120. The monitoring center 130 facilitatesmonitoring and review of communications automatically or manually by areviewer. The monitoring center 130 is configured to receivecommunications and data from the communication center 110. Themonitoring center 130 is configured to connect to the communicationcenter 110 via a network 103. The network 103 includes a LAN, a WAN, orthe Internet, depending on the location of the communication center 110in relation to the monitoring center 130. In an embodiment, themonitoring center 130 is further configured to communicate with thecommunication center 110 to indicate approval to start, pause, continue,or end communications. In an embodiment, based on a review ofcommunication, the inmate may be suspended from using a chatbot for apredetermined amount of time or indefinitely. Suspension can occur bydiscussing or organizing a crime or using the chatbot improperly forsuch actions as circumventing security platforms. In yet anotherembodiment, some communications are not monitored by the monitoringcenter 130. In this case, the communication center 110 can store acommunication, as will be described in more detail below, but does nottransmit the communication to the monitoring center 130. By making thecommunication confidential, the chatbot appears more personal, and atrusting relationship can be established between the inmate and thechatbot. Whether a communication is transmitted to the monitoring center130 may be based on such factors as regulations of the correctionalfacility and jurisdiction, the inmate and/or the inmate's reason forincarceration, or the size of the communication file.

Communication Center

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a communication center 200,according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Thecommunication center 200 represents an exemplary embodiment of thecommunication center 110 of FIG. 1. The communication center 200includes a communication server 202, a gaming server 204, a web server206, an application server 208, and data storage 220, that are allconnected to each other via a network bus 201.

Each of the servers 202-208 can be constructed as individual physicalhardware devices, or as virtual servers. The number of physical hardwaremachines can be scaled to match the number of simultaneous userconnections desired to be supported in the communication system 100.

The communication server 202 consists of any number of servers, and isconfigured to route communications and data to/from the communicationdevice 120 and to/from the monitoring center 130. In doing so, thecommunication server 202 performs switching required to electricallytransmit/receive communications to the communication device 120 and/orthe monitoring device 130. Further, the communication server 202 is alsoconfigured to store communications and data and/or transfer thecommunication to another server. The communication server 202 stores thecommunications and data as files on an internal storage or an externalstorage, as will be explained in more detail below.

Because there may be a variety of different communication standardsemployed by different audio, video, image, and text devices used tocommunicate with the communication center 110, in an embodiment, thecommunication server 202 may also perform format conversion of thecommunications and data. The conversion my convert incomingcommunications as needed, or may convert outgoing communications to becompatible with the communication device 120 or the monitoring center130. For example, a communication from the video communication device123 b can be received in a first format, such as an MPEG-4, andtransmitted to the monitoring center 130 in a second format, such asflash video format. In an embodiment, the audio and video communicationsare converted to and stored as text logs. The communication server 202is configured to perform a preliminary keyword search of the text logsand determine whether the monitoring center should be alerted toimproper use of a chatbot by an inmate. Further, the communicationserver 202 is configured to store audio or video communications alongwith corresponding text logs for a predetermined amount of time to beused to solve technical issues such as whether the chatbot is properlyrecognizing speech or communications properly.

Further, because the communication server 202 receives and transmitscommunications and data by way of a network, in an exemplary embodiment,the communication server 202 can encrypt and decrypt communications anddata, for security purposes.

In an embodiment, the inmate can play games with the chatbot to providecompanionship. Accordingly, the communication center 110 includes thegaming server 204. The gaming server 204 consists of any number ofservers, and is configured to facilitate the hosting of games for theinmate and chatbot to play. The gaming server 204 is configured to hostgames such that an inmate can play a game with a chatbot, a chatbot canplay a game with another chatbot, and/or an inmate and chatbot can playwith other inmates and chatbots. In many instances, the available gamesare custom made for the chatbot, some with the objective of teamworkwith the chatbot and other with the objective of friendly competitionwith the chatbot. Regardless of whether the games are custom-made forthe chatbot or are localized versions of publicly-available games, allgames are prescreened by the correctional facility before being hostedby the gaming server 204. The games hosted by the gaming server 204include educational games to help an inmate on grammar, math, or othertopics, video versions of board games, or action games, to provide someexamples. In an embodiment, the inmate purchases a game or access to agame by way of an inmate's account, which is set up during registration,as will be described in further detail below.

The gaming server 204 is also configured to include virtual andnon-virtual shopping centers. The virtual shopping center allows aninmate to purchase virtual gifts for a chatbot, or other in-game items.Purchases can include virtual clothing, accessories, gifts, or othervirtual items that are different from basic virtual items that an inmateselects during the time of registering and setting up a chatbot, as isdescribed below. The non-virtual shopping center allows an inmate topurchase items such as music, that can be played on the communicationdevice 120, and/or items available to the inmate through thecorrectional facility. These include items available through acommissary at the correctional facility, such as food or hygieneproducts.

The web server 206 consists of any number of servers, and is configuredto run web server software such as Apache, Microsoft InternetInformation Server, and/or an interactive voice response (IVR) serversoftware. The primary function of the web server 206 is to routerequests and other communications from communication device 120 to anappropriate destination within the communication system 100. In anembodiment, the web server 206 can also serve as a maintenance pointinto the communication center 200, by which servicing, configuring, andupdating can be performed. In an embodiment, the web server 206 isconnected to both the public Internet and the internal network of acorrectional facility. In an embodiment, the web server 206 can providemanaging services for generating communications and receivinginstructions from an inmate to send or receive communications. Forexample, the web server 206 can facilitate an inmate in generating acommunication when the inmate uses a front-end application having a userinterface. The application server 208 consists of any number of servers,and is configured to function as the primary logic processing center inthe communication system 100. In general, the application server 208 isthe chatbot. The application server 208 is configured to perform naturalcommunication processing for communications with an inmate. The naturalcommunication processing allows a chatbot to communicate with the inmatein a more natural audio or text that imitates human behavior as comparedto a keyword search, where a chatbot responds to a conversation based oncertain keywords in a communication from the inmate.

The application server 208 is configured to analyze stored data from thedata storage 220 to generate more personalized communications for theinmate. Analyzing the data includes the application server 208connecting to the data storage 220 and extracting topics or issues thatare determined to be important to the inmate. This can be performedbased on keyword repetition detection, emotional speech analysis, orother analyses tools. By extracting these topics, the chatbot can beinformed of topics that are deemed “important” or at least “of interest”to the inmate. Thus, the application server 208 can tailorcommunications to the inmate's interests. In an embodiment, theapplication server 208 includes a topic rating system to rate thosetopics deemed to be important with a high rating and less importanttopics with a low rating. By performing emotional analysis during thetopic extraction, the application server 208 can also flag certaintopics as making the inmate happy, versus flagging others that make theinmate angry, sad, or otherwise. Thus, the chatbot can adjust its toneand discussion approach with the inmate accordingly in order to betterconnect with the inmate. For example, for a “happy topic”, the chatbotcan ask questions and provide responses with a tone of excitement,whereas for sad or angry topics, the chatbot can strike a conciliatoryor solemn tone. In these manners, the chatbot is able to show a level ofunderstanding to the inmate that will allow the inmate to deepen hispersonal relationship with, and trust in, the chatbot. The topic ratingsystem provides a quick way for the application server 208 to categorizeand process the stored data to generate a communication. The applicationserver 208 is also configured to update the stored data and the topicratings based on communications with the inmate and or updated data inthe data storage 220.

Further, when a communication is received from an inmate, theapplication server 208 is configured to analyze the communication todetermine an intent of the communication. The intent includes parsingthe communication into terms and categories. Based on the parsing, theapplication server 204 determines a most likely subject matter andpurpose for the communication. Further, the parsing also allows theapplication server 208 to determine whether the communication is aquestion. Based on the intent of the communication, the applicationserver 208 determines a response to the application in view of analyzedstored data, as is described below.

In an embodiment, the application server 208 is further configured toevaluate an educational level of an inmate and help improve theeducation level. To evaluate the educational level of the inmate, theapplication server 208 analyzes stored data from the data storage 220 todetermine patterns of grammar, vocabulary, and/or mathematics where theinmate can improve. Patterns include repeated misspelling of words,misplacement of punctuation, or incorrect answers to mathematicalquestions. Based on the analysis, the application server generatescommunications with communications that provide correct grammar,vocabulary, or mathematical responses or encourages the inmate toparticipate in games that can promote an increase in educationallearning.

In an embodiment, the application server 208 includes a plurality oftimers. The plurality of timers includes a communication timer todetermine when the chatbot initiates a communication with the inmate.The communication timer can function based on a specific schedule, forexample, at a particular time each day if no other conversation hasoccurred, or the communication timer can function based on a randomizedalgorithm to give an appearance of a more human like conversation. Thealgorithm can factor in such aspects as a personality of the inmate, aschedule of the inmate, time and location of the inmate, or rules andregulations of the correctional facilities. As an example, at the timeof creating a chatbot, the inmate can take a personality traits test todetermine a compatible chatbot, and the results of the test are used bythe algorithm to determine when the chatbot will initiate aconversation. In an embodiment, the plurality of timers also includes anidentity timer to determine when to perform an identity verification, asis described in more detail below. The identity timer can be set toperform an identity verification at predetermined times or at randomizedtimes during a string of communications.

FIG. 3 illustrates an application server 300, according to exemplaryembodiments of the present disclosure. The application server 300 mayrepresent an exemplary embodiment of the application server 208 depictedin FIG. 2. The application server 300 includes one or more centralprocessing units (CPU) 310 connected via a bus 301 to several otherperipherals. Such peripherals include an input device, such as akeyboard and/or mouse 320, a monitor 322 for displaying information, anetwork interface card 324 and/or a modem 326 that provide networkconnectivity and communication.

The application server 300 also includes internal data storage 330. Thisdata storage 330 is non-volatile storage, such as one or more magnetichard disk drives (HDDs) and/or one or more solid state drives (SSDs).The data storage 330 is used to store a variety of important files,documents, or other digital information, such as the operating systemfiles, application files, user data, and/or temporary recording space.

The application server 300 also includes system memory 340. The systemmemory 340 is preferably faster and more efficient than the data storage330, and is configured as random access memory (RAM) in an embodiment.The system memory 340 contains the runtime environment of theapplication server, storing temporary data for any of the operatingsystem 342, java virtual machine 344, java application server 346, andcommunication control logic 348.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of storage devices 400, according toexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, inaddition to internal storage each of the servers 202-208, one or moredatabases and associated Network Attached Storage devices are connectedto the application server 300 via the network 401. For purposes of thisdisclosure, the term database should be understood to encompass arelational database application or a remotely defined data sore inaddition to a traditional relation database. application

As illustrated by FIG. 4, the stored devices 400 provide access to awide variety of data. The identity data 402 includes information onidentity of inmates using the communication system 100 for the purposeof security. Identity data includes information regarding at least oneof a username and a password, a biometric sample of an inmate such as anaudio sample, a fingerprint, a facial sample (2D or 3D), or a retinalsample, a device identification such as make and model of acommunication device 120 assigned to or typically used by an inmate, ora location of an inmate. The identity data 402 includes data directlyentered by the inmate, the correctional facility, and/or obtained from aJail Management System.

The inmate data 404 stores information regarding the inmate. Theinformation includes an inmate's background history, schedule, andpersonal information. The background history information includes areason for an inmate's incarceration, prior locations that an inmate haslived, known friends and family. The schedule includes activities, jobs,or hobbies that the inmate has while incarcerated. The personalinformation includes web browser information, books checked out from thelibrary, and/or identities of those with whom the inmate has recentlycommunicated with. In an embodiment, an inmate selects what informationis stored by way of selecting what information can be available. Theinmate data 404 includes data entered by an inmate, obtained from a JailManagement System, and/or updated by the application server 208.

The bot data 406 is information related to the chatbot includingappearance, voice, and personality. The appearance data includes sex,race, size and shape of a chatbot. The voice data includes such aspectsas language or dialect of a chatbot. The personality data includessettings to select a general personality type of a chatbot and frequencyof communications. The bot data 406 includes data directly entered by aninmate.

The support data 408 includes data that is used as support for aninmate's questions or needs. The support data is used by the applicationserver 208 to provide suggestions to an inmate depending on acommunication. The support data includes information related to servicesavailable to the inmate or the inmate's family, an inmate'scommunication history with outsiders, available correctional facilityevents, or internet searches based on other support data, to providesome examples. The services available to the inmate or inmate's familycan include medical providers, counselors, attorneys, or educationalproviders. The support data 408 includes data entered by an inmate,obtained from a Jail Management System, and/or updated by theapplication server 208.

The historical communications data 410 includes data such ascommunication logs related to past communications between an inmate anda chatbot. In an embodiment, the application server 208 can convertaudio or video communications into a file format, such as text file, forfaster searching of past communications. In essence, the historicalcommunications are stored by the application server 208 and act as amemory for the chatbot.

User Interface

A user interface such as a website, the IVR, or another interface ismanaged by, or on behalf of, a correctional facility. The user interfaceprovides an interactive platform for users wanting to transmit andreceive communications with a chatbot. Accordingly, the interface'sbackend links to or communicates with the application server 208 via theweb server 206.

In this case, communications with a chatbot, by way of the communicationcenter 110, are via some form of a user interface. The user interface iseither an IVR system accessed by way of a microphone and speaker on anyof the communication devices 120 or by a graphical interface accessed byway of a front-end application on a communication device 120 havingaudio and video/image functionality. The IVR system is configured tofacilitate an inmate in having an audio communication, by way of thecommunication device 120, with the chatbot. In doing so, the inmate andchatbot can have a conversation, have communications from others, suchas email or text, read, send communications to others, or make purchasesall by way of the communication device 120. The graphical interface isconfigured to facilitate the same functions but also includes visualoptions to an inmate. Accordingly, a communication device 120 thatincludes a front-end application for a graphical interface facilitatesboth audio and visual communications with the chatbot.

FIG. 5 illustrates a graphical interface 500 of a communication device120 having video/image functionality, according to exemplary embodimentsof the present disclosure. The graphical interface 500 may represent anexemplary embodiment of a user interface for the communication device120 of FIG. 1. The graphical interface 500 includes an interface window502 having different panels to facilitate communication with a chatbot.The interface window 502 includes a communication panel 510 and asettings panel 520.

The communication panel 510 includes an image window 512, including animage or animation of the chatbot, and a messaging window 514 to send orreceive text messages. In an embodiment, the communication panel 510only includes one of the messaging window 514 or the image window 512.An inmate communicates with the chatbot by way of either amicrophone/speaker on the communication device 120, and/or by way of amessaging area 516 on the messaging window 514. For example, an inmatecan indicate a desire to learn a particular skill and the chatbot canrespond by speech that a particular website has useful information onthe particular skill and send, by way of the messaging window 514 a linkto the particular website.

The settings panel 520 includes settings for an inmate to changeregarding the inmate's profile and the chatbot's profile. Inmate profilesettings include what type of information the inmate would like thechatbot to have access to and/or how much communication the inmate wantswith the chatbot. Chatbot profile settings include personality type,appearance type, language, and/or goals to accomplish for the chatbot.The inmate profile and the chatbot profile settings may be accessed by abutton, as shown by FIG. 5.

In an embodiment, the interface window 502 also includes a shoppingpanel 530 and/or a game panel 540. The shopping panel 530 includesoptions provided by the gaming server 214 for an inmate to make virtualand non-virtual purchases, as previously discussed. As shown by FIG. 5,the graphical interface 500 includes options to change the appearance ofthe chatbot including the purchasing of clothes or accessories for thechatbot. Further, the graphical interface 500 includes the option forpurchasing non-virtual items such as food, hygiene products, or music.The game panel 540 includes games provided by the gaming server 214 thatthe inmate and/or the chatbot can play against each other and/or againstother inmates and other chatbots.

Registration and Setup

While an example of a user interface has been discussed in regards to acommunication with a chatbot, in the following operations, examples ofadditional website interfaces will be explained. However, as will beunderstood by those skilled in the arts, in other embodiments theinterfaces may be through the IVR which may limit some of the operationsbelow.

An inmate wishing to communicate with a chatbot is required to firstregister and set up an account with the communication center 100. Theregistry process requires the user to submit identity data to thecommunication system 100 in order to verify the user's identity to ahigh degree of likelihood. The identity data includes at least one of ausername and a password data, biometric data such as voice data, facialdata, fingerprint data, or facial data (2D or 3D), device data such asmake and model of a communication device, or location data. Registrationcan be either in-person such as at a work station, or online by way of acommunication device 120, depending on correction facility rules. Thisis particularly important for security purposes, to ensure that thecommunication center 100 can properly verify inmates. As with allauthentication procedures described herein, upon a predetermined numberof failed attempts to authenticate an identity of an inmate, the inmatewill be prohibited from accessing the communication center 110 (at leastuntil the inmate can confirm their identity by some other way such asin-person, over the phone, or online confirmation, to unlock theinmate's account).

In an embodiment, the registration process the inmate also sets up apayment system to pay for in-app purchases such as games or shopping.The payment system requires the inmate to enter information on a form ofpayment such as direct deposit from the inmate's correctional facilityaccount, commissary account, and/or a gift card. The inmate also has theoption of not allowing in-app purchases.

Once registered, the inmate can setup and select a chatbot profile.Setting up a chatbot is performed by a website interface which theinmate accesses through a communication device 120. In doing so, theapplication server 208, via the web server 206, provides the websiteinterface options on chatbot data such as appearances settings, audiosettings, and personality settings of a desired chatbot, for the inmateto select from. In an embodiment, during registration or setup, theinmate participates in a personality test and some of the settings forchatbot data are selected according to the results of the personalitytest. After the settings for chatbot data have been selected, theapplication server 208 generates a chatbot for the inmate such as thechatbot illustrated by FIG. 5.

In an embodiment, the inmate selects how to initiate a communicationwith a chatbot. For example, during the setup the inmate can select frominitiating a communication with a chatbot only after the inmate haslogged into an application, only during certain hours of the day, or anytime of the day allowed by the correctional facility.

Identity Verification

The identity data facilitates a secure communication between thecommunication center 110 and the communication device 120 by allowingthe communication center 110 to verify an identity of a purportedinmate. When a purported inmate attempts to access the communicationcenter 110 to have a communication with a chatbot, the applicationserver 208 performs an identity verification by comparing a sampling ofdata received from the purported inmate with the stored identity data402. The sampling of data includes a username and a password, abiometric sample of the purported inmate such as an audio sample, afingerprint, a facial sample (2D or 3D), or a retinal sample, a deviceidentification such as make and model of a communication device 120 usedby the purported inmate.

In an embodiment, the application server 208 also performs identityverifications during a video or voice communication such that theapplication server 208 verifies that a correct inmate is involved in astring of communications Identity verifications during the video orvoice communication are performed by voice and/or facial recognition,which tends to require a significant amount of processing power andtime. To reduce an amount of processing required, the application server208 can perform the verifications based on the identity timer. By way ofthe identity timer, a sampling of the purported inmate is taken atpredetermined times during the communication, or at random times.

Communication with Chatbot

A chatbot communication operation of the communication system 100 willbe described with respect to FIG. 6, which illustrates a flowchartdiagram of a method 600 for communicating with a chatbot, according toexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Although the physicaldevices and components that form the system have largely already beendescribed, additional details regarding their more nuanced operationwill be described below with respect to FIGS. 1-5.

At the outset, a communication operation starts (602). The start of acommunication operation can be due to one or more of an inmate loggingonto an application, the start of inmate communication time set by theinmate or allowed by a correctional facility. For example, when aninmate opens an application on the wireless communication device 124,the wireless communication device 124 performs an identity verificationby capturing a sample of the purported inmate's voice and comparing thesample with the identity data stored by the identity server 204. Whenthe identity of the purported inmate is confirmed, the inmate is loggedon to the application, and the communication operation starts. Next, theapplication server 208 starts the communication timer (604). Theapplication server 208 then determines whether the inmate hascommunicated through the user interface (606). The communication can beby either voice or text. If no communication has been received from theinmate, then the application server 208 determines whether thecommunication timer has reached a predetermined time (608). Thepredetermined time is based on the personality settings of the chatbotsaved in the bot data 406. For example, when the personality settings ofthe chatbot indicate that the chatbot is talkative, the predeterminedtime is less than half a second. However, when the personality settingsfor the chatbot indicate that the chatbot is shy, the predetermined timeis set at greater than half a second. If the communication timer has notreached the predetermined time, the application server 208 returns todetermine whether the inmate has communicated with the chatbot (606).

If the communication timer has reached the predetermined time, theapplication server 208 analyzes data (610) such as the inmate data 404,the support data 408, and the historical communication data 410 todetermine communications topics to discuss with the inmate. The topicsare determined based on the topic rating system. Once analyzed, theapplication server 208 determines how to communicate with the inmateabout a topic based on the bot data 406 such as the chatbot personalitysettings. By generating a communication based on the bot data 406, thepersonality of the chatbot is created in the communication making thecommunication unique for the inmate. After the communication isgenerated, the communication is transmitted (612) to the inmate.Examples of the communication include a question on a recent event atthe correctional facility or a recent book that the inmate has read,based on the inmate data. Further examples include, a suggestion tocontact a counselor based on the support data, in view of historicalcommunication data. Once the communication is sent, the timer is reset(614) and the process returns to determine whether the inmatecommunicated (606).

When a communication is received from the inmate, the application server208 determines a topic and an intent of the communication (616). Next,the application server 208 determines whether the communication is aquestion (618). If the communication is a question, the applicationserver 208 performs a search for the answer (620). Here, the searchincludes a search through support data, inmate data, historicalcommunications data, and authorized Internet webpages. The authorizedInternet webpages are webpages prescreened by the correctional facility.Once an answer is found, the application server 208 generates a responsebased on the inmate data 404 and the bot data 406 to give personality tothe response. (622), and then transmits the response to thecommunication device 120 (624). If the inmate's communication is not aquestion, the application server 208 generates a response based on thedetermined intent and the analyzed data (622). Once a response to theinmate communication is sent, the timer is reset (614) and the processreturns to determine whether the inmate communicated (606).

Exemplary Computer Implementation

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) thatvarious elements and features of the present disclosure, as describedherein, can be implemented in hardware using analog and/or digitalcircuits, in software, through the execution of computer instructions byone or more general purpose or special-purpose processors, or as acombination of hardware and software.

The following description of a general purpose computer system isprovided for the sake of completeness. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure can be implemented in hardware, or as a combination ofsoftware and hardware. Consequently, embodiments of the disclosure maybe implemented in the environment of a computer system or otherprocessing system. For example, the front-end application having theuser interface of FIG. 5 can be implemented in the environment of one ormore computer systems or other processing systems. An example of such acomputer system 700 is shown in FIG. 7.

Computer system 700 includes one or more processors, such as processor704. Processor 704 can be a special purpose or a general purpose digitalsignal processor. Processor 704 is connected to a communicationinfrastructure 702 (for example, a bus or network). Various softwareimplementations are described in terms of this exemplary computersystem. After reading this description, it will become apparent to aperson skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosureusing other computer systems and/or computer architectures.

Computer system 700 also includes a main memory 706, preferably randomaccess memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 708.Secondary memory 708 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 710and/or a removable storage drive 712, representing a floppy disk drive,a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, or the like. Removablestorage drive 712 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit716 in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit 716 represents afloppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, or the like, which is read byand written to by removable storage drive 712. As will be appreciated bypersons skilled in the relevant art(s), removable storage unit 716includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computersoftware and/or data.

In alternative implementations, secondary memory 708 may include othersimilar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to beloaded into computer system 700. Such means may include, for example, aremovable storage unit 718 and an interface 714. Examples of such meansmay include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as thatfound in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM,or PROM) and associated socket, a thumb drive and USB port, and otherremovable storage units 718 and interfaces 714 which allow software anddata to be transferred from removable storage unit 718 to computersystem 700.

Computer system 700 may also include a communications interface 720.Communications interface 720 allows software and data to be transferredbetween computer system 700 and external devices. Examples ofcommunications interface 720 may include a modem, a network interface(such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot andcard, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface720 are in the form of signals which may be electronic, electromagnetic,optical, or other signals capable of being received by communicationsinterface 720. These signals are provided to communications interface720 via a communications path 722. Communications path 722 carriessignals and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, aphone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link and other communicationschannels.

As used herein, the terms “computer program medium” and “computerreadable medium” are used to generally refer to tangible storage mediasuch as removable storage units 716 and 718 or a hard disk installed inhard disk drive 710. These computer program products are means forproviding software to computer system 700.

Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored inmain memory 706 and/or secondary memory 708. Computer programs may alsobe received via communications interface 720. Such computer programs,when executed, enable the computer system 700 to implement the presentdisclosure as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs,when executed, enable processor 704 to implement the processes of thepresent disclosure, such as any of the methods described herein.Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of thecomputer system 700. Where the disclosure is implemented using software,the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded intocomputer system 700 using removable storage drive 712, interface 714, orcommunications interface 720.

In another embodiment, features of the disclosure are implementedprimarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components such asapplication-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and gate arrays.Implementation of a hardware state machine so as to perform thefunctions described herein will also be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art(s).

CONCLUSION

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and notthe Abstract section, is intended to be used to interpret the claims.The Abstract section may set forth one or more, but not all exemplaryembodiments, and thus, is not intended to limit the disclosure and theappended claims in any way.

The disclosure has been described above with the aid of functionalbuilding blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functionsand relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional buildingblocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of thedescription. Alternate boundaries may be defined so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) that variouschanges in form and detail can be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure should notbe limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication system for allowing an inmate tocommunicate with a chatbot in a correctional facility, the communicationsystem comprising: a communication device comprising a front-endapplication configured to present a graphical user interface thatfacilitates the inmate in sending and receiving chat communications fromthe chatbot; a communication subsystem; a monitoring center; and anetwork that communicatively couples the communication device, thecommunication subsystem, and the monitoring center, wherein thecommunication subsystem includes: a memory that stores inmate data andchatbot data, wherein the inmate data comprises the inmate's background,schedule, and personal information obtained by the correctionalfacility; an application server configured to: analyze the inmate data;extract a topic determined to be important to the inmate based onanalyzing the inmate data; generate a communication of the chatbot basedon the extracted topic and the chatbot data; and transmit thecommunication of the chatbot to the front-end application of thecommunication device over the network; and a communication serverconfigured to: facilitate incoming and outgoing chat communicationsbased on the chatbot data in between the chatbot and the communicationdevice, wherein the incoming and outgoing chat communications comprise acombination of audio, visual, and text communications; convert and storethe incoming and outgoing chat communications as text logs in the memoryof the communication subsystem; perform a keyword search of the textlogs; and determine to alert the monitoring center of improper use ofthe chatbot by the inmate based on the keyword search, and wherein themonitoring center is configured to: monitor the incoming and outgoingchat communications in between the chatbot and the communication device;and suspend the incoming and outgoing chat communications in between thechatbot and the communication device for a predetermined period of timebased on the monitoring.
 2. The communication system of claim 1, whereinthe inmate's background comprises data regarding a reason for theinmate's incarceration, prior locations where the inmate has lived, orknown family and friends, the inmate's schedule comprises data regardingactivities, jobs, or hobbies that the inmate has while incarcerated, thepersonal information comprises identities with whom the inmate hasrecently communicated with, and the chatbot data includes one or more ofappearance settings, audio settings, and personality settings of thechatbot.
 3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the applicationserver is further configured to: perform an emotional analysis of thetopic extracted from the inmate data; and flag the topic based on anemotional tone of the inmate obtained from the emotional analysis. 4.The communication system of claim 1, wherein the memory further storessupport data, which is data regarding one or more of services availableto the inmate, correctional facility events, or internet searchesperformed by the inmate, and historical communications data, which isdata from past communications between the inmate and the communicationsubsystem, and the application server is further configured to analyzethe inmate data, the support data, and the historical communicationsdata to extract the topic.
 5. The communication system of claim 1,wherein the application server includes a topic rating system configuredto rate topics deemed to be important to the inmate.
 6. Thecommunication system of claim 5, wherein the topic rating system ratestopics based on historical communications data which includes data fromcommunication logs for past communications between the inmate and thecommunication subsystem.
 7. The communication system of claim 1, whereinthe application server includes a timer configured to determine when toinitiate an inmate communication with the inmate when the timer reachesa predetermined time.
 8. The communication system of claim 7, whereinthe predetermined time is determined based on the chatbot data.
 9. Thecommunication system of claim 1, wherein the communication deviceincludes an input device configured to capture identity information of apurported inmate, wherein the memory further stores identity data of theinmate, and wherein the application server is further configured tocompare the captured identity information with the stored identity datato perform an identity verification.
 10. The communication system ofclaim 9, wherein the identity data includes a username and password,biometric data of the inmate, or data related to the communicationdevice.
 11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the biometricdata includes voice data, fingerprint data, or 2D or 3D facialrecognition data.
 12. The communication system of claim 9, wherein theapplication server includes a timer to determine when to perform theidentity verification during a string of communications between theinmate and the application server.
 13. A communication system forallowing an inmate to communicate with a chatbot, the communicationsystem comprising: a memory device that stores inmate data, wherein theinmate data comprises the inmate's background, schedule, and personalinformation obtained by a correctional facility; an application serverconfigured to: receive a communication for the chatbot from the inmatevia a communication device comprising a front-end application configuredto present a graphical user interface that facilitates the inmate insending and receiving chat communications from the chatbot; analyze thecommunication to determine an intent of the communication; extracttopics important to the inmate that correspond to the intent of thecommunication based on analyzing the inmate data; generate a response ofthe chatbot based on the extracted topics; transmit the response of thechatbot to the front-end application of the communication device over anetwork that communicatively couples the communication system and thecommunication device; a communication server configured to: convert andstore incoming and outgoing chat communications in between the chatbotand the inmate as text logs in the memory device, wherein the incomingand outgoing chat communications comprise a combination of audio,visual, and text communications; perform a keyword search of the textlogs; and determine to alert a monitoring center of improper use of thechatbot by the inmate based on the keyword search; and the monitoringcenter configured to: monitor the incoming and outgoing chatcommunications in between the chatbot and the inmate; and suspend theincoming and outgoing chat communications in between the chatbot and theinmate for a predetermined period of time based on the monitoring. 14.The communication system of claim 13, wherein the application server isfurther configured to perform a search for an answer on the Internetwhen the intent of the communication is a question.
 15. Thecommunication system of claim 14, wherein the memory device furtherstores support data and historical communications data, and wherein theapplication server is further configured to: search at least one of theinmate data, the support data, the historical communication data, or theInternet to determine an answer to the question; and generate theresponse based on the extracted topics and the answer.
 16. Thecommunication system of claim 15, wherein the support data includes dataregarding one more of services available to the inmate, communicationhistory between the inmate and outsiders, correctional facility events,or interne searches based on other support data, wherein the historicalcommunications data includes data on communication logs for pastcommunications received from the inmate, and wherein the responseincludes a recommendation for the inmate to communicate with a serviceprovider or friend for counseling, based on the support data and thehistorical communications data.
 17. The communication system of claim14, wherein the application server further includes a topic ratingsystem configured to rate the extracted topics based on importance tothe inmate.
 18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein theapplication server is further configured to flag at least one of theextracted topics based on an emotional feeling of the inmate.
 19. Acommunication system for allowing an inmate to communicate with achatbot, the communication system comprising: a memory device to storeinmate data and historical communications data of the inmate, whereinthe inmate data comprises the inmate's background, schedule, andpersonal information obtained by the correctional facility; anapplication server configured to: analyze the inmate data and historicalcommunications data; determine an educational level of the inmate basedon analyzing the inmate data and historical communications data;generate a communication of the chatbot based on the determinededucational level; and transmit the communication of the chatbot to acommunication device of an inmate over a network, wherein thecommunication device comprises a front-end application configured topresent a graphical user interface that facilitates the inmate insending and receiving communications from the chatbot; a communicationserver configured to: convert and store incoming and outgoing chatcommunications in between the chatbot and the inmate as text logs in thememory device, wherein the incoming and outgoing chat communicationscomprise a combination of audio, visual, and text communications;perform a keyword search of the text logs; and determine to alert amonitoring center of improper use of the chatbot by the inmate based onthe keyword search; and the monitoring center configured to: monitor theincoming and outgoing chat communications in between the chatbot and theinmate; and suspend the incoming and outgoing chat communications inbetween the chatbot and the inmate for a predetermined period of timebased on the monitoring.
 20. The communication system of claim 19,wherein the application server is further configured to: determine apattern of grammar, vocabulary, or mathematics that the inmate canimprove based on analyzing the inmate data and historical communicationsdata.